Wednesday, July 7, 2004

I stopped by Bed, Bath & Beyond after work on Thursday. We are having a house-warming party this weekend so the trip to BB&B was intended to help exorcise my demons of social anxiety. Paxil may be more effective but Yankee Candles are more fun.

While I was there I saw it. The object of an earlier round of gossip with an old friend. We were "peeling onions" over a mutual friend and his wife who collectively have not got the good sense a dog was born with. Case in point: friend and his wife had purchased a $120.00 garbage can. I hardly have any jewelry that cost that much. And this was purchased by a couple who are on the financial ropes.

Yes, it was really there. Actually it was $129.00 at the store I was in. A kitchen garbage can with a 5 year warranty. When your garbage is that safe and secure is it easier to sleep at night. Okay, it was an extraordinarily well constructed garbage can and I think it has possibilities: I can't decide if I want to be buried in one, or attempt a lunar landing in it. It's exciting to imagine the potential of this object.

Now I can't look at my lowly plastic garbage can with anything but a jaundiced-eye. My garbage can has become a social statement telling me with every scrap and peel I deposit there that I have just not made it in life. It is sad to have one's social conscience brought low by such a lowly thing. I think there is material for (another pointless) sociological study here: document the correlation between the type of kitchen garbage can a person buys against their social/financial condition. I bet you'd find that the people with the $129 garbage cans are just as broke and $clue-less$ as my friend and his wife.